Bikers have many reasons to ride — and to attend Americade

Robert Guglielmo Sr. shines up a tailpipe on his 1986 Suzuki Intruder minutes before it is judged in a motorcycle appearance competition held June 5 at Americade motorcycle rally held this week in Lake George. Guglielmo’s wife bought the Intruder new 29 years ago when she and Robert returned home to Rhode Island following one of the early editions of the world-renowned annual rally.

Clad in leather and sporting a beard, Jim “Smiley” Burrows patted the gas tank of his 1972 Honda 750 motorcycle while several judges scrutinized his and a dozen other vintage road bikes at Americade motorcycle rally on June 5.

Athough it had pitted chrome and showed wear from 192,000 miles it has traveled, Burrows’ Honda was entered into the Vintage bike competition, in which the motorcycles were judged on their condition and the effort invested in their restoration.

Burrows, 60, looked at the gleaming chrome and glowing paint jobs on the motorcycles competing against his.

“My Honda’s not pretty like these other bikes, but I bought it to ride it, not show it off,” he said, remarking that he and his motorcycle had traveled all over the U.S. and Canada many times in the past 30 years, one adventure after another.

“I traded my first wife in for it, and I’m keeping the Honda, he said. “You could offer me a million bucks for it, but I’d think twice about whether to take the money.”

Nearby, Robert Guglielmo of North Scituate R.I. was polishing the impeccable chrome on a 1986 Suzuki Intruder 700 that his son Robert Jr. drove from Rhode Island to Lake George to attend Americade.

The 2015 edition of week-long Americade, the nation’s leading tour motorcycle rally, was his first — but his father has attended the rally since the mid-1980s.

Back in 1986, Robert Sr.’s wife Becky had test-driven an Intruder at Americade, and on their way home to Rhode Island, they bought the one that’s now considered “vintage.”

For Robert Guglielmo Sr., Americade this year, as many in the past, was a “working vacation, ” he said.

Robert Guglielmo Sr. owns and operates, with his brothers Richard and Tony, Northeast Trikes — which manufactures, retails and services three-wheeled road bikes.

At Americade each year, Guglielmo networks with equipment distributors, reviews the latest advances in two- and three-wheeled engineering, and cuts deals with trike manufacturers to add to his inventory.

For the “vacation” element, Guglielmo attends dozens of Americade’s events, including riding on the motorcycle jaunts.

“The riding is fantastic, and there’s so much else,” Guglielmo said. “My son’s never seen anything like this.”

Robert Jr. walked up and joined the conversation.

“I love Americade — I’ve been to small bike shows, but this is a incredible — it’s a week full of activities,” he said. “The level of appreciation people have for other’s bikes is astonishing, and the rides are beautiful. The people are great.”

While Guglielmos were talking, an award was presented to Nancy Smith of Williamstown Pa. for First Place in the Classic category for her restored 1996 Yamaha Virago 750 which had 34,442 on the odometer. Most of those miles were with hers, Smith said, revealing why she bought it in 2007.

“My husband has always been into motorcycling,” she said. “I used to ride on the back of his bike, but I got tired of it and wanted to drive my own.”

Smith, her husband Cameron and their friends took a 325-mile trip on the way to the rally — it was the 14th Americade that the Smiths have attended since 2000.

Tim Libby of Falmouth Maine, a retired motorcycle policeman, eyed the Guglielmos’ Intruder. Libby’s served as an Americade motorcycle judge for 31 years — since the very earliest years of the annual rally.

“He’s really got this bike detailed well,” he said of the Suzuki, which sported a candy-apple paint job with subtle ghost flares and some tasteful chromed custom handlebars, risers and triple headlights.

“It’s exceptionally clean and its customization is well-balanced,” he added, taking notes on his clipbord. The Intruder ended up placing third in the Vintage category.

Libby eyed several other motorcycles from the 1980s.

There are some nice “Saturday-afternoon” bikes here,” Libby said. “You don’t have to sink a lot of money into a bike and have a nice ride,” he added, noting he saw one this year in which its owner had invested about $100,000.

As he was examining motorcycles, Libby reminisced about a recent motorcycle trip he took around the U.S. that totalled 7,878 miles, which included riding the full length of the fabled Route 66.

As the judging was finishing up, internationally famous comic Alonzo Bodden mounted his BMW 1600 GT nearby. Bodden headlined two comedy shows at Americade 2015 — his fourth year appearing at the rally, He had been brought back by popular demand, according to reports.

“This year’s Americade has been fantastic — I always have a great time,” Bodden said, noting he’d test-driven several different motorcycles including a Harley-Davidson — a rare opportunity at a rally. “Americade has beautiful riding, great people, and I love the wide variety of bikes.”

Bodden noted he rode his motorcycle 3,700 miles from Los Angeles to Lake George to participate in Americade, visiting a number of national parks along the way.

“This was the first time I’ve ridden across the U.S., and it exceeded my expectations,” he said.

Bodden’s route included a long stretch of U.S. Route 50, through the Nevada desert.

“It was almost meditative,” Bodden said. “It’s called the loneliest road in America.”

Bodden quipped that among all the towns he visited, Lake George has earned a a distinction.